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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part four of a weekly series on computer-based navigation software and electronic charting. For more about this series and why we wrote it, please see our Room 13 blog.

Until recently, if you were a member of the small club who owned a Macintosh computer, your choices for electronic charting were slim. The questions that dogged Apple stalled efforts to develop full-featured navigation software.

But with Apple now solidly in place and the Mac growing ever more popular, choices have stabilized in the form of two programs - NavimaQ and MacENC - that offer strong options at affordable prices.

Though neither of the Macintosh packages are as full-featured as long-established PC programs, coastal cruisers and weekend sailors will find more than enough capability to do basic planning and navigation. Together, the two programs are a strong indicator that navigation software for the Macintosh has come a long way since the days when Apple's future was in question and its operating system changed with the winds.

For those who favor the Mac's stability and ease of use - 18 percent of all laptops sold in the U.S. are now Apples - taking an Apple aboard is now a viable option. In fact, because most Macs now have an Intel processor, you can even use a Mac to power a PC-based navigation application (for a story on how to do this, see link below).

We focused on software whose primary capability is reading common U.S. chart formats, but it is worth mentioning that there are Macintosh applications that serve other geographic locations. The most notable is PassagePlus, which works with UK Admiralty or New Zealand raster charts and can be downloaded for $70 (see link below).

NAVIMAQ

NavimaQ (pronounced NAV-EH-MAC) was originally written in the mid-1980s by husband-and-wife software development team Barb and Larry Bauer. When Apple launched OS X 10.0 in 2001, requiring a complete revamping of all applications, the Bauers decided not to update NavimaQ. In 2004, it was purchased by Barco Software, which began the arduaous task of making NavimaQ OS X compatible. The latest version of NavimaQ (3.4.8) runs on older PowerPC Macs as well as newer Macs with Intel processors.

NavimaQ is available online through its website (see link below) and through a small number of retailers such as Landfalll Navigation and Celestaire. The boxed version sells for $99.95 direct from Barco, while the same offering costs $195 retail, a discrepancy created by the retailers' margin requirements. Alternatively, you can opt for a software-only download from Barco for $75.

Be warned: do not expect an Apple-out-of-the-box experience with this purchase. The product clearly was not conceived by Apple's packaging team in Cupertino. The slimcase contains an installation CD and a 32-page Getting Started Guide that looks like it was photocopied and hand-trimmed at the local copy shop.

An HTML manual, accessed through Help on the main menu, is your most important resource when working with NavimaQ. This detailed manual, with 20 hot-linked chapters, is much more helpful than the pamphlet included with the CD. We suggest immediately printing the Help chapters to create a manual.

Barco also provides customer support. NavimaQ includes unlimited email support for the life of the product and telephone support for the first 30 days to help with installation. You can purchase a support contract for priority email and extended telephone support. Barco also has an online community site with FAQ's and forums for discussion (see link below).

SETTING UP

In order to get up and running, you need raster charts in BSB/KAP or GEO/NOS (formerly SoftChart) formats. You can purchase BSB charts on CD or DVD from several commercial sources, or download them free from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (for a story on how to do this, see link below).

You'll also need a copy of NOAA's Catalog of Charts & Publications, which displays all the chart regions and their numbers. This color fold-out brochure lets you choose the chart files you wish to view and, more importantly, helps you identify which charts are adjacent as you move through a region. These free brochures are available at any marine store that sells NOAA paper charts.

In our tests, NavimaQ crashed with Maptech's encrypted BSB4 and BSB5 charts, but had no trouble opening standard NOAA BSB3 files. Barco is aware of the problem and expects to have it resolved in the next release, which should be available soon.

NavimaQ also integrates tide data through XTide, a downloadable freeware program that produces tide predictions (see link below). When Barco Software acquired NavimaQ it also acquired WeathermaQ weather fax software, but Barco has since discontinued the product.

If you want to print a chart excerpt showing your waypoints, routes or tracks, you will need a computer screen shot tool. Neither NavimaQ nor MacENC prints charts with your annotations. A good choice for the Mac is Snapz Pro X, which is available as a $29 download (see link below).

NavimaQ integrates with both GPS units and autopilots, provided they are compatible with the NMEA 0183 electronics protocol, which is standard on most modern electronics equipment. It currently does not integrate data from wind, compass, depth, AIS, weather or radar, though waypoint data can be exchanged with some Garmin and Magellan handheld GPS units.

If you want to connect a GPS sensor, don't overlook the fact that Macs use USB ports exclusively, unlike older PCs which have serial ports. If you are buying a new sensor, purchase one with a USB connection. If you own a GPS with a serial connection, you need to purchase a serial-to-USB adaptor such as KeySpan's $39 USB High Speed Serial Adapter (see link below).

Remember that an application is more likely to locate a peripheral device if the device is connected to the laptop before starting the application.

INSTALLING CHARTS

Prior versions of NavimaQ, which ran on OS 9 and early versions of OS X, were notorious for bugs and system crashes. We thoroughly evaluated a one-week-old copy of version 3.4.8 in order to independently re-evaluate its performance.

Like most Mac installations, installing chart files is very straightforward: simply copy your chart files or folders onto your hard drive. You can place chart files in any folder or organize them in any way, as long as they are on your hard drive. Choose File>Open>Open Chart and select Show Charts On to browse your files and select your chart folder. It takes a few minutes exploring the Open Chart window, but it will eventually become clear where to click to see a list of your chart files. If you click on Show Preview, a side drawer opens with a preview of the chart. It's a useful feature if you are familiar with the region, though the image is not always big enough to help you identify the chart.

Note that NavimaQ, unlike MacENC, only allows you to browse in one folder at a time. If you keep your charts organized by type (BSB/KAP or GEO/NOS), or by region, such as the Chesapeake Bay or Florida Keys, this isn't much of a hindrance. In fact, limiting selection to one folder at a time may prevent you from having too many charts loaded. Because the application is only pointing to one folder at a time, it stays organized and your laptop remains very responsive. For this reason, NavimaQ works well with CDs or DVDs of charts that are pre-organized into regional folders.

LOOK AND FEEL

Like many e-charting applications, NavimaQ is designed to operate with three "views" always open: a Chart window showing the chart display, an Overview window, and a Coordinates window.

MARK AND DIANA DOYLEThe above chart, displayed without OS X Quartz rendering, demonstrates poor line quality and color shifts when not viewed at 100%. Below, OS X Quartz rendering technology delivers crisp graphics and blends 2D and 3D content together with transparency and drop shadows. MARK AND DIANA DOYLE

Obviously, the Chart window is the most prominent. Unfortunately, NavimaQ does not yet take advantage of OS X's Quartz technology, so charts viewed at less than 100 percent may appear soft and line quality sometimes suffers. A Quartz display, such as MacENC's, is significantly more sharp and smooth. Barco is aware of this issue and stated that adopting quartz technology is a high priority effort.

The Overview window displays the larger geographic area from which the chart display is chosen. Dragging the rectangle outline on the Overview window pans the main chart display accordingly. However, the window has a quirky tendency to expand and contract, depending on the scale of the chart. For example, a Chart window of St. Lucie Inlet results in a tiny, barely-legible, one-inch-by-one-inch Overview window.

NavimaQ's graphical user interface is largely the standard Mac interface, with a main menu bar along the top, an icon-based toolbar, and floating windows. Unfortunately, both NavimaQ and MacENC sometimes ignore Apple standards. Certain shortcuts, window names, and tab positions are at odds with some Mac conventions, and they sometimes even behave inconsistently. For example, to a Mac user, a title bar placed on the left side of a window signifies a pull-out drawer, but NavimaQ does not abide by this convention.

Similarly, NavimaQ does not allow you to float your cursor over an icon and display its function. Instead, it describes groups of icons. There are also some odd icon choices, such as an exclamation point (!) for chart information, and some inconsistencies in naming, such as calling a feature SpyGlass, Spy Glass, and Spyglass.

On the positive side, NavimaQ allows reasonable control over the user interface and adds some features not found in MacENC. If you're planning to spend a great deal of time navigating the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, you'll welcome the choice to view speed and distance units in statute miles, instead of nautical miles. NavimaQ also lets you customize your favorite screen display - setting window sizes, placements, and column widths - and save it for future use. Many other applications, including MacENC, do not remember all of your screen settings.

MARK AND DIANA DOYLENavimaQ's unique Spyglass function magnifies difficult-to-read chart information without distortion.WORKING WITH CHARTS

NavimaQ uses the standard interface when working with chart files. You can pan and scroll to view the chart. The charts displayed promptly, though the program performed best when working with a single chart.

NavimaQ has a unique and useful feature called the Spyglass tool. Clicking on this toolbar icon simulates a glass bubble chart magnifier, but without the distortion! This feature - perfect for us middle-aged boaters - is almost worth the price of the download. You can drag the Spyglass icon over the digital chart to magnify an area, letting you read those tiny nav aid or sounding notations.

Although NavimaQ automatically rolls up the next chart while navigating, a weakness is moving between charts while planning. The chart display is exactly like a paper chart on your screen, complete with the printed border and abrupt edge. Charts are not "stitched" together smoothly as they are in most other e-charting packages.

In addition, the application lacks a chart outline feature, which helps you choose the next chart. Panning the chart doesn't indicate which chart to use at what scale or when it's best to switch to a new chart. You must actively decide which chart you want by having a reference handy, such as NOAA's Catalog of Charts & Publications. Another handy feature is Chart>Scale In or Chart>Scale Out (or Apple + > or <), which changes the chart scale. You can use this shortcut to quickly move to a non-contiguous chart by scaling out, mousing to a new location and then scaling back in.

WAYPOINTS AND ROUTES

NavimaQ uses three different points of reference on charts: waypoints, logpoints, and chartmarks. Waypoints are navigational points and are used to create a route. Logpoints are analogous to tracks, showing your path over time. Chartmarks refer to non-navigable geographic marks, such as anchorages or marinas. As cruising guide authors, we obviously like this category. Chartmarks provide a place to put chandleries, laundries and dinghy docks for quick and easy visual reference. It is also handy to have a way to mark these secondary locations without bloating your waypoint list.

It was very easy to create a waypoint or chartmark using the icon-based toolbar. However, we did experience difficulty trying to save these points. What we found is that you cannot create waypoints, logpoints or chartmarks until you have created a file for each. Choose File>New>Select File Type and then choose the radio button for Waypoints, Logpoints, or Chartmarks. When a window opens, name and save the new file by choosing File>Save As.

Once created, you can right-click in the Waypoint File window, which displays your waypoints or routes and brings up a contextual menu where you can quickly add or delete waypoints.

MARK AND DIANA DOYLEA good waypoint directory allows you to "Scroll To" the waypoint (bottom left), centering it on the largest scale chart available.

The only disconcerting aspect of creating references on a chart is the antiquated system governing the naming convention. NavimaQ only allows seven-character names, which is an old standard left over from early Magellan, Trimble and Garmin GPS units.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it is a severe hindrance for heavy waypoint and route users. A waypoint at Wisteria Island near Key West becomes "Wisteri." We have two anchorage waypoints there, which could be labeled "WIST1" and "WIST2," but that seems a bit 1980s. And what would we do with our 11 waypoints that contain "Miami" (five of the seven characters): Miami Beach Marina, Miami Seaquarium, Miami Turning Basin, Miami Yacht Club... You get the idea.

Thankfully, Barco officials say they intend to update this field length to 24 characters in the next release.

ASSESSMENT

After hearing stories of NavimaQ's instability and bugs, we were pleasantly surprised with the improvements made since the early OS 9 days, and particularly in the latest version 3.4.8. It is clear that much work has been put into the product.

We found NavimaQ to be relatively bug-free and stable, and the program has some unique and useful features, such as the Spyglass tool and Chartmarks. On the other hand, the crashes caused by the BSB4 and BSB5 charts would give headaches to the average user, as might some of the departures from Apple's standard interface. The company is aware of many of the program's shortcomings and much seems to be riding on future releases.

The bottom line is that NavimaQ is a fine work in progress. Boaters with Macs should keep an eye on this product as Barco continues to make improvements and add functionality. For now, it is attractive as a budget-conscious option (assuming you take advantage of the $75 download) for coastal and weekend boaters who want to use navigation software while maintaining their allegiance to the Mac.

MACENC

Many boaters are probably not familiar with MacENC, a relatively new Macintosh application that grew out of GPSNavX, a program that was specifically designed for OS X and worked only with raster format charts.

Despite the "ENC" in its name - which implies vector charts - MacENC displays both raster and vector formats. Its designer, Rich Ray, sees MacENC as a worthy successor to his older application. GPSNavX, which was the name of both the company and the product, began as a personal project in 2002, when Ray wanted to view BSB charts on his Mac with OS X. He created a basic native-OS X chart viewer and distributed it for free.

Over the next year he incorporated new features as requested by his "customers," and the application evolved from a simple viewer to full-fledged navigation software. NOAA's distribution of free vector format charts in 2005 forced a major overhaul of GPSNavX, which led to MacENC. Although GPSNavX is still available, we focus on MacENC because it surpasses GPSNavX in features and function.

MacENC is only available on the web as a download. Ray believes that packaged software - in terms of a printed box, disk, and hardcopy manual - are outdated forms of distribution. Instead, customers gladly forfeit the pretty package in exchange for receiving the software immediately with a credit card purchase from GPSNavX's website (see link below). The cost is $139.95 and the raster-only GPSNavX costs $59.95. A detailed comparison of the two packages is posted on the company's site (see link below).

Although MacENC does not included a printed manual or one in PDF format, the Help menu is very good. Each chapter is clearly written with sufficient detail to take you step-by-step through topics such as connecting your GPS or registering your BSB5 files. You don't need an online connection to use this linked help file, unless you want to hot-link directly to the manufacturer's website. These help chapters can be printed individually as an excellent substitute for a manual.

GPSNavX also provides direct customer support by email or telephone. They were very responsive to our inquiries and we have heard from other users that technical support is prompt and helpful. Better yet, we had no trouble with the installation or operation.

INSTALLING CHARTS

You will need to either download or purchase charts, in raster or vector formats. MacENC works with all NOAA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers charts, as well as Maptech's encrypted BSB4 and BSB5 charts. As with NavimaQ, you can use Snapz Pro X to print charts and KeySpan's adaptor to connect your GPS if needed. If you want tide data to display through MacENC, download and install a companion piece of Mac OS X open-source software called Mr. Tides (see link below).

Installing your chart files is also straightforward: simply copy the BSB (raster) or S-57 (vector) files to your hard drive, preferably to a folder in your Documents or User folder. MacENC uses a feature called Chart Manager to install and manage charts. Chart Manager brings up a browser window, letting you select one or more folders with charts.

After loading the charts, simply double-click on a chart file in a folder (raster format) or a catalog (vector format) and it displays on the screen. Note that you must register your software permit, like a license or software key, before international vector charts in S-57 or S-63 format can be displayed. No permits are needed for raster or vector charts from NOAA, or for charts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With MacENC's "directory based" chart loading, you can easily direct the application to add charts or a chart folder from anywhere on your hard drive.

LOOK AND FEEL

MacENC uses a typical Mac graphical user interface with floating windows. Windows can be displayed transparently, so you can see your chart display through any data window, giving a "layered" effect. This is a particularly nice feature to use with the Waypoint window. Some windows also include a drawer option. For example, the GPS data window has a pop-out drawer that details satellite data. Like most Mac applications, MacENC also includes a number of keyboard and mouse shortcuts, described in a compendium in the Help menu.

MARK AND DIANA DOYLEA directory-based chart manager allows you to browse your hard disk and easily load raster chart folders or vector chart catalogs.

There are a few oddly un-Mac-like aspects to the window display. For instance, Chart Manager can never rise to be the top window and is always obstructed by the Navigation window and the Overview window, forcing you to resize it. Like all software programs, these little quirks become irritating if you use the program extensively and have to repeat the inefficiencies over and over.

Beware of overdoing the window displays: the screen can easily become cluttered with window layers. The fixed-size Overview window takes up quite a bit of screen real estate. We'd love this application on dual 23-inch Apple cinema displays: one for all the windows and one for the chart view.

Since this isn't a viable option on a boat, you must resize and organize windows to make it work on your laptop screen. Unfortunately, once you get your window positions, sizes, and column widths just how you like them, some of the settings are lost when you restart the application. This was a major annoyance. Every startup required repeating these "housekeeping chores" to reorganize your display. It would be nice if MacENC remembered user settings or included a "save my workspace" option.

We found that MacENC is a bit weak on customization and preference settings overall. There are a number of customizable properties in its Preferences window, such as setting compass displays to magnetic or true, and wind to apparent or true. However, MacENC doesn't have as many knobs and dials as a Mac user is accustomed to. For example, Intracoastal Waterway travelers cannot select statute miles instead of nautical miles. And multiple windows cannot be combined into a tabbed window to save precious screen real estate.

WORKING WITH CHARTS

One of MacENC's nicest features is that it smoothly and automatically transitions between charts in all settings and circumstances. It brings up the next chart automatically - even in planning mode. Many other applications only include this feature when the boat is underway and connected to a GPS.

Even more impressive, MacENC works simultaneously with both raster and vector format charts. It doesn't simply cascade these two displays, it links the charts, making the raster display "smarter" by reading the vector data behind it. For example, clicking on an object on a raster chart would normally have no result, because it is just a scanned paper chart image. But using MacENC, that same click brings up the data contained in the corresponding vector chart. You get the combined benefits of raster imagery and vector data. You can also type Apple + R to toggle back and forth between "stacked" vector and raster chart displays.

Users can navigate across charts using Outline mode or with a feature called Automatic. Outline mode is a standard feature in many charting and navigation applications, displaying thin lines showing the chart outlines. Right-click the mouse and a list of charts spanning your area appears in a pop-up window. Select one of those choices to refresh the chart display and move to that chart. Automatic mode simplifies the process by choosing the best chart as you zoom, scroll, or pan.

MacENC's standard zooming feature is a bit cumbersome. Most charting packages pan with the mouse and zoom with the scroll wheel. In MacENC, the scroll wheel moves the chart vertically or side-to-side. This relegates zooming to the main menu or an awkward keyboard shortcut. A frequently-used tool like zooming is better served by the scroll wheel.

A nice feature in MacENC is its ability to measure distance and bearing even in planning mode. Some of the applications we tested didn't have a simple measuring tool, only providing range and bearing information when navigating to a waypoint. In MacENC, by simply selecting the line tool in the toolbar, and clicking-and-dragging the mouse, you can see the distance and bearing to the dinghy dock from your foggy Maine mooring.

One tradeoff that comes with the ability to keep both raster and vector charts "in standby mode" is the program's refresh speed. Although it is not painfully slow, it is less responsive than many of the other applications we tested. A refresh on a laptop can take a few seconds and you can expect to see the Mac's "spinning beach ball" as you pan across chart files. We ran MacENC through its paces on several Macs and there is no question that more memory - two gigabytes or more - would be a welcome addition to your laptop.

WAYPOINTS AND ROUTES

Using dedicated windows, creating waypoints and routes is very straightforward in MacENC. For example, in the Routes window, you can easily draw from your waypoint collection to create a new route, copy a route, expand an existing route, or add a waypoint within legs of an existing route.

MARK AND DIANA DOYLEMacENC follows a route to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The company has also has put quite a bit of effort into data exchange. Waypoints and routes can be transferred to some GPS units, including selected Garmin and Magellan models. Waypoints, routes, and tracks may all be imported or exported to CSV (comma-separated-value) files. MacENC can currently import GPX (GPS Exchange Format) waypoints and work is underway for total GPX integration. However, note that any waypoint icons you choose (such as fuel dock, anchor, etc.) are not captured when exporting to another computer running MacENC.

One of our favorite simple features is the keyword search field. This standard Macintosh tool adds powerful search capabilities to locate your waypoints and routes, and to quickly locate a chart. For example, typing "Miami" brings up all your waypoints that contain this word. Select a waypoint near where you want to view and click Scroll To. Your waypoint appears centered on the largest scale chart available.

However, if you have hundreds of waypoints, MacENC's management system may be too simplistic. Its waypoint file is a collection of all your waypoints. So, unless you only travel in a limited geography or seldom enter waypoints, this file quickly blossoms into a long, difficult-to-manage list. Many other applications allow for multiple waypoint files or folders, which is a much more organized way to manage a coastal cruiser's large waypoint database.

On the other hand, MacENC's ability to integrate with your vessel's electronic devices is advanced. GPS, depth sounder, fluxgate compass, autopilot, wind and speed indicators, radar, and an AIS receiver can all be connected. MacENC can display a live overlay from AIS or radar and its capabilities in terms of proximity alarms are full-featured.

A particularly nice feature is the 'Connect at Startup' option in File>Preferences. Many programs either automatically connect at startup or have you manually make the connection. MacENC's option to set connection preferences let's you choose what to connect and when.

ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES

If you use Maptech's paper Chartkits, MacENC can register and use the BSB5 encrypted chart pages included on the included Chartkit CDs. All the GPS markings, course lines, headings, and inset outlines that are printed on the paper Chartkit will appear in your MacENC Chart window.

Not impressed? Then you should know that BSB5 files are not even supported by Maptech's own software packages, such as Chart Navigator Pro or The Capn. Charts formatted in BSB5 are only available with the purchase of Maptech Chartkits, and they can only be read by Offshore Navigator Lite, Maptech's viewer package, which is included on the CDs.

Indeed MacENC, can use and display several types of information beyond standard charts. For example, we had no trouble quickly downloading GRIB weather files from the Internet. Simply choose Weather>Request GRIB to obtain surface wind, 500 millibar height, wave, surface temperature, or air temperature data. A GRIB data file arrives instantly as an email attachment in your inbox. Then select Weather>Open GRIB, choose the attachment file and your weather data is overlaid on your chart display. There is no additional cost.

MARK AND DIANA DOYLEGPS port settings and satellite constellations can be monitored through separate control windows.MacENC includes data on tides by incorporating an application called Mr. Tides. Right-clicking anywhere on a chart and choosing Mr. Tides in the menu brings up a new window showing tidal prediction curves, in bright color-coding, for that day and location. You can advance to other dates or locations, or display a complete visual calendar of tides.

MacENC also recently integrated with Google Earth, giving it the capability to show satellite imagery of your present chart position. Obviously this feature requires a fast online connection - Google Earth is a bandwidth hog - but it allows you to zoom and pan over a satellite image of your chart area and use Google Earth to locate map features. This free feature is a great alternative to more expensive cartography that includes aerial or satellite views, such as Nobeltecs Passport charts or Navionics Platinum charts.

Seeing your location on Google Earth is cool, but what about displaying and saving your waypoints as a layer for Google Earth display? MacENC can easily transfer waypoints by saving a KML file to your desktop (Waypoints>Transfer>Export to Google Earth). You then open the file in Google Earth.

If you have access to a large format color printer, MacENC also has the ability to save the chart as a TIFF graphics file and print high-resolution charts. Unfortunately MacENC cannot print overlays of waypoints, routes or tracks. For this you need a screen shot tool.

Another interesting feature is the pen tool, which lets you annotate charts on your screen. Although a mouse is a crude writing instrument - Mac's Sticky Notes or comments would work better for this purpose - it does allow you to scribble marks for fishing holes or sketch out route ideas.

For sailors, MacENC has a SailTimer feature that computes the optimum sailing angles and target speed to an active waypoint using wind speed, wind direction and predicted performance. This functionality is usually reserved for much more expensive applications.

Finally, for serious Mac tweaks, MacENC can be extensively scripted, letting you write your own AppleScript code to automate tedious tasks such as batch re-naming waypoints.

ASSESSMENT

To sum it up, MacENC is an excellent choice if you already own a Macintosh laptop or are considering purchasing one. It's a mature, stable product that offers all the basic navigation features such as waypoints, routes, and tracks plus the ability to use both raster and vector charts.

It also has some advanced features, many of which typically appear only on more expensive PC applications. The ability to connect to AIS and radar, pull down GRIB weather files and integrate with Google Earth to obtain satellite imagery all fit into this category.

There were some imperfections, such as the need to resize the Chart Manager and re-configure your personal setting at each startup. And the refresh speed does lag at times, especially on machines starved for memory.

But the truth is you won't find better ease of use and capability on either a Mac or PC at anywhere near this price point. For boaters loyal to Apple's Mac at home or work, and who do not want to switch to a PC when you step onboard, MacENC provides a solid option.